Gravity centering device



Nov. 30 1926. 1,608,952

A. H. OELKERS GRAVITY CENTERING DEVICE Filed March 9, 1925 7W1 by,

Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

1,608,952 PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HENRY OELKE'RS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

GRAVITY CENTERING DEVICE.

Application filed March 9, 1925. Serial No. 14,125.

My invention relates to centering devices and consists in an improvedgravity centering device functioning without th e use of pivotedelements, rollers, or snnilar ele ments.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple economical centeringdevice operated by gravity and composed of rigid members. I also desireto provide adequate lubrication for the sliding surfaces of the 1 deviceso that the relatively moving parts operate in a bath of oil or otherlubricant.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment ofmy invention I show thesame as applied to a four-wheel truck adapted tobe used near the front end of a locomotive, but it will be understoodthat my invention is not limited to this particular application but maybe used generally on railway trucks for locomotives or cars and is alsocapable of other industrial use aside from railway rolling stock.

In thesedrawings- Figure 1 is a top view of the four-wheel truckreferred to.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 ofFigure 1. a

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end view of the contacting elements of the centeringdevice drawn on i an enlarged scale.

The truck comprises the usual wheels 1,

- axles 2, and journal boxes 3 which carry equalizers at. Swinginglymounted upon the equalizers are the leaf springs 5 which mount truckframe 6, the middle portion of which comprises a bolster-like member 7.

Preferably the bolstermember 7 is provided with a recess in which issnugly fitted the bolster member 8 of the centering device. The upperface of member 8 consists in a plurality of surfaces inclined upwardlyand downwardly from the horizontal transversely of the device and truck.In the structure illustrated, these surfaces form an elevated ridgealong the longitudinal center line of the device and extend downwardlyin opposite directions from this ridge and then upwardly to the sides ofthe device.

Resting upon member 8 is a center plate supporting element 9, the lowerface of which consists of surfaces inclined similarly to the inclinedsurfaces of member 8. The total width of element 9 is substantially lessthan that of member 8 and obviously the element 9 may move transverselyof the truck for a limited distance without any restraint except theresistance to the lifting of the element and its load caused by itstravel up the inclined surfaces of member 8. This lateral movement ofelement 9 is limited by the upstanding sides 10 of the depression in thetruck bolster. The ends 11 of the bolster depression are preferablyprovided with hardened wear plates 12 which engage the ends of thecenter plate element 9 and prevent longitudinal shifting of the latter.

The upper face of element 9 is provided with a central raised portion 13which fits within a corresponding depression. in the lower face of thecenter plate 14. Bolts 15 maintain the assembly of center plate 14 andits centering element 9 when these two pieces are handled before theirassembly with the remainder of the truck.

The center plate element 9 is provided with a plurality of transversepassages or conduits 16, here shown as horizontal holes drilled throughthe element, and at intervals along passages 16 are provided suitablepassages 17 leading downwardly from passages 16 to the lower surface ofthe element. These passages 16 and 17 serve to distribute oil or otherlubricant to a large number of points over the bearing surfaces of theup per and lower parts of the device. As the bolster member 7 of thetruck forms a rectangular pan with upstanding sides extendingsubstantially above the level of the inclined surfaces of the centeringdevice, a

quantity of oil can be placed in the bolster depression and maintainedat a level above passages 16 which will insure the centering devicefunctioning in a bath of oil. To improve the distribution of the oil, Iprovide grooves 18 along the ridges formed by the intersection of theinclined surfaces of each part of the centering device. Obviously manyother arrangements of the passages for distributing the lubricant may bemade.

Hingedv to the sides of the center plate are covers 19 which extendlaterally far enough to rest upon the tops of the walls of bolster 7 andoverlie the space between the sides of the center plate element 9 andthe bolster walls 10 and serve to exclude dust and other dirt from theoil in the bolster recess.

The arrangement shown consists of rigid elements which provide aconstant resistance to any movement of the relative parts from theirnormal position as such movement results in the raising of a load whichgravity tends to return to its normal lowermost position. By varying theangle of inclination of the supporting and supported surfaces, theresistance to relative movement may be varied.

While I have shown the device as applied to a truck bolster and centerplate, it may be used in connection with a side bearing andmounted ontruck parts other than a bolster, or the device may be used for otherpurposes thanhere indicated.

Preferably the two partsof the centering device will consist ofdifferent material,

such as iron or steel and brass, but this is a detail which, like theangle of inclination of the supporting and supported surfaces, may bevaried as found desirable. Other modifications in the details of myinvention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof asexpressed in the following claims,

' I claim:

1. A gravity centering device comprising a supporting member withoppositely inclined bearing surfaces, a supported element with similarsurfaces resting on said member surfaces, andv a pan-shaped lubricantretaining receptacle for said element and member having sides extendingabove the level of said surfaces.

2. A gravity centering device comprising a supporting member withoppositely inclined bearing surfaces, a supported element with similarsurfaces resting on said member surfaces, and a pan-shaped receptaclefor said element and member having sides extending above the level ofsaid surfaces, said element and member being provided with passagesleading from their exteriors so as to distribute lubricant in saidreceptacle to substantially all of said surfaces.

3-. In a railway truck, a bolster member having an imperforatepan-shaped recess in its upper face for receiving and retaining a volumeof lubricant, and a loaded plate slidably supported by the upwardlyfacing surfaces of said member, and gravity centering means for saidloaded plate.

4, In a railway truck, a lubricant retaining pan-shaped bolster member,the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing flat surfacesinclined alternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal on eachside of its center line a loaded plate having similarly inclined bearingsurfaces facing downwardly and resting on said member surfaces butterminating at a distance from the upstanding sides of said member.-

5. In a railway truck, a lubricant retaining pain-shaped bolster member,the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing surfaces inclinedalternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a loaded platehaving similarly inclined bearing surfaces facing downwardly and restingon said member surfaces but terminating at a distance from theupstanding sides of said member, one of said members being pro videdwith oil passages leading from the sides thereof to a plurality ofspaced p'oints on said bearing surfaces. I

6 In a railway truck, a lubricant retaining pan-shaped bolster member,the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing surfaces inclinedalternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a loaded platehaving siniilarly inclined bearing sur faces facing downwardly andresting on said member surfaces but terminating at a distance from theupstanding.sides of said member, said loaded plate being provided withoil passages leading from the sides thereof to a plurality of spacedpoints on said bearing surfaces. p

7. In a railway truck, .a lubricant retain ing pan-shaped bolstermember, the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing surfacesinclined alternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, aloaded plate having similarly inclined bearing surfaces facingdownwardly and resting on said member surfaces but terminating at adistance from the upstanding sides of said member, a cover for the spacebetween the sides of said mcmberlan'd said loaded plate, and conduitsleading. from said space to a plurality of. spaced points on saidbearing surfaces.

8. In a centering device, a lower member having supporting surfacesinclined upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal and havinglongitudinal grooves along the lines of intersection of said surfaces,as pper element having supported, surfaces similarly inclined,transverse passages in said element, and passages in said elementleading to said supported surfaces intermediate the lines ofintersection thereof.

9. In a centering device, a lower member having supporting surfacesinclined upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal and havinglongitudinal grooves along the lines of intersection of said surfaces,an upper element having supported surfaces'similarly inclined andgrooved, transverse passages in said element, and passages in saidelement leading to said supported surfaces intermediate said grooves.

10. In a centering device, a lower member having a supported surfaceinclined transversely upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal andprovided with longitudinal grooves, an upper element having similarlyinclined supported faces slidable transverse- 1y of said supportingfaces, and lubricant passages through said upper element with theirterminals normally located between said grooves but movable across thelatter as the devices operates.

11. In a railway truck, a bolster having a depression in its upper face,a removable member fitting in said depression and having an upper face,W-shaped in cross section, extending longitudinally of the truck, acenter plate having a depression in its lower face, and an elementfitting in said depression and removably secured thereto and having alower face, W-shaped in cross section, corresponding to said bolstermember.

12. In a railway truck, a bolster having a depression in its upper face,a removable member fitting in said depression and having an upper faceinclined upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a center platehaving a depression in its lower face, and an element fitting in saiddepression and removably secured therein and having a lower facesimilarly incline-d.

13. In a railway truck, a lubricant retaining pan-shaped bolster member,the bottom of which includes upwardly facing bearing surfaces inclinedalternately upwardly and downwardly from the horizontal, a center platehaving similarly inclined bearing surfaces facing downwardly and restingon said member surfaces but terminating at a distance from theupstanding faces of said member, a cover hinged to said center platewith its free end resting on the side walls of said member and slidablethereover, and conduits leading from said space to a plurality of spacedpoints on said bear ing surfaces.

14. In a centering device, a supporting member having a depression inits upper face, a removable member fitting in said depression and havingupwardly facing surfaces oppositely inclined to the horizontal, a centerplate having a depression in its lower face, and an element removablysecured in said center plate depression and having a lower face inclinedcorresponding to said member upper face.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 2nd day ofMarch, 1925.

ALFRED HENRY OELKERS.

